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Friday, September 12, 2014

Adopt a Pup for $100 During “The Dog Days of Summer” at the Washington Humane Society - September 15th - 21st


Washington, DC – From Monday, through Sunday, September 21, 2014 the Washington Humane Society (WHS) is offering reduced adoption fees for all dogs. Patrons can bring home a new best friend for a reduced rate of $100 (regularly $170).

All pets adopted from the Washington Humane Society go home spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. Potential adopters can view available pets online at www.washhumane.org/adopt, then visit one of two adoption centers (open daily from noon to 7pm, closed Wednesdays), one of our community events, or make arrangements with a foster parent to meet the animals. Our standard adoption interview and approval process applies to all adoptions, and a $15 DC dog license fee is required for dogs adopted by DC residents.

WHAT: “Dog Days of Summer” Adoption Special

WHEN: Monday, September 15 – Sunday, September 21

WHERE: Promotion applies to all animals available for adoption at offsite events (www.washhumane.org/adoptionevents), animals in foster homes, and animals residing at both Washington Humane Society Adoption Centers, located at:

1201 New York Avenue, NE
7319 Georgia Avenue, NW

                   SPECIAL: Reduced adoption fees of $100 for all dogs


About the Washington Humane Society: WHS is the only Congressionally-chartered animal welfare agency in the United States and has been the leading voice for animals in the District of Columbia since 1870. WHS provides protection and care to over 43,000 animals each year through its broad range of programs and services including: sheltering, adoption, humane law enforcement, spay and neuter, humane education, human – animal rehabilitation programs, and lost and found services. For more information, please visit www.washhumane.org.





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Possible Cougar Sightings in Fairfax County,Virginia


Alexandria, Virginia - Two potential cougar sightings have Fairfax County Police urging citizens to take precautions.

In both cases the reports described a large cat, possibly a cougar near Riverside Elementary School on Old Mount Vernon Road in Alexandria.

Animal Control officers have searched the area but have found no evidence confirming the presence of the animal, police said.

The cat was described as sand or orange color and was estimated to be the size of a large dog with a tail equal to the length of its body, police said.

Authorities are working to set up wildlife cameras around the area and animal patrol will be patrolling.

Teachers and parents have been notified to take the necessary precautions to keep children safe, police said.

Police advise, that if you see the cat, do no approach it. Go to a safe location and call the non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.







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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Deadly Cobra Sought After Biting Dog Near Los Angeles


A "very dangerous" albino cobra was being hunted Wednesday, two days after it bit a dog and disappeared in a suburban neighborhood near Los Angeles, authorities said.

Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and local animal control were searching for the venomous monocoled cobra in Thousand Oaks.

Residents were warned to keep pets inside, shut their doors and "stay as far away as possible," animal-control spokesman Brandon Dowling told the Los Angeles Times.

"It is vitally important for families to closely supervise children and instruct them to avoid any snakes, as well as playing in and around animal burrows, pipes and culverts where snakes may seek refuge," the department said in a statement.

The injured dog was reported in critical condition after being bitten Monday, though its owner did not report the snake bite until Tuesday, he said. The man took a photo of the cobra before it vanished.

A cobra bite can kill a human within an hour.

It's illegal to keep cobras or other venomous snakes in Los Angeles. Authorities have not located the snake's owner.

The monocled cobra is native to South and Southeast Asia. An adult snake can grow to between 4 and 7 feet long.







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Friday, August 29, 2014

Washington, DC - Urgent! Emergency Medical Fund Donations Are Needed for Seriously Injured Animals at The Washington Humane Society



The Washington Humane Society (WHS) has a number of seriously injured animals requiring advanced care. We are regularly depleting the resources available in our emergency medical fund.

Please consider making a donation to SOPHIE'S FUND now.

This fund enables the WHS to provide animals with urgent, specialized medical care. Sophie's Fund saves lives every day.



Louie
Louie is a nine-pound, eight-week-old puppy who was struck first by a truck, and then by a car on Saturday night. He was brought to WHS and immediately transported to our partners at Friendship Hospital for Animals to receive emergency care.  He sustained a large laceration to his chest, lost and fractured a number of teeth, had extensive bruising of his lungs, and suffered a broken jaw.  The hospital stabilized Louie, treated his chest trauma, began pain management, and closed his jaw with a medical tape muzzle. The protective muzzle must remain on for at least four weeks to allow his fractured bones to heal on their own. During this time, he will be hand-fed mashed puppy food through a syringe. Louie will be re-examined in a month to determine if surgical intervention is necessary. Louie is now in the home of a specialized WHS medical foster family where we are hopeful he will recover fully from his many injuries.

Can you help animals like Louie NOW?  Please donate to Sophie's Fund.


Zoey
An approximately two-year-old female cat, Zoey was surrendered to WHS because her owner could no longer care for her. Zoey arrived with severe infections and corneal ulcers in both eyes, was suffering ocular pain, and had lost her sight in both eyes. Upon examination, our medical team diagnosed Zoey with eyelid agenesis, an uncommon birth defect found mostly in cats. Her eyes were not protected by eyelids and were constantly subjected to dust and hair. Additionally, the defect prevented her eyes from being properly hydrated and they were likely irritated, aggravated, and inflamed her entire life. Our veterinarian team successfully removed her damaged eyes, and no long term complications are expected. Zoey had already learned to find her way around tactically and will now be pain free. She is currently recovering with a specialized WHS foster family and will be available for adoption soon.

Can you help animals like Zoey NOW? Please donate to Sophie's Fund.


Bamboo
Bamboo is a four-week-old puppy who was surrendered to WHS after an alleged accident in which a large speaker fell on her head. Her owner said her family could not afford veterinary care. It was clear from visual inspection upon her arrival at WHS that Bamboo’s head was damaged, and she was rushed to Friendship Hospital for Animals. Radiographs revealed that Bamboo had a sinus fracture, with air build-up in her skull. She was stabilized, put on a catheter, placed under close observation because of abnormal neurological symptoms, and monitored for seizures. While she has some weakness in her rear legs, possibly due to a spinal injury, she does feel them and has motor function, so we remain cautiously optimistic. Bamboo spent a few days at the hospital and is now being fostered by the WHS Medical Director who can closely observe her progress and determine her best regime for recovery.

Can you help animals like Bamboo NOW? Please donate to Sophie's Fund.

All of our injured animals deserve the love, care, and hope that Louie, Zoey, and Bamboo are receiving.

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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Panda May Have Faked Pregnancy for More Buns, Bamboo


A giant panda slated to be the star of the first-ever live broadcast of the birth of panda cubs has lost the role -- after it was discovered the bear is not pregnant after all, Chinese state media reported.

Not only was it a phantom pregnancy, but zookeepers suspect the panda, Ai Hin, may have been faking it to improve her quality of life, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding told Xinhua on Monday.

Ai Hin, age 6, had shown signs of pregnancy, including a change in appetite, moving less and an increase in progestational hormone in July, according to Xinhua.

But after almost two months, she began acting normally again, zookeepers said.

Experts say pandas sometimes carry on the behaviors associated with early pregnancy after noticing that they get preferential treatment, the news agency reported.

"After showing prenatal signs, the 'mothers-to-be' are moved into single rooms with air conditioning and around-the-clock care," Wu Kongju, an expert at the Chengdu base, is quoted as saying.

"They also receive more buns, fruits and bamboo, so some clever pandas have used this to their advantage to improve their quality of life."

The birth of Ai Hin's supposed cub and its progress in its early days, from its first cries to acquiring its distinctive black-and-white fur, were due to be broadcast online to panda lovers in China and worldwide.

Giant pandas are notoriously reluctant to breed in captivity and pseudo-pregnancies are common.

The female is fertile for no more than three days a year, and the time span for a pregnancy is from 80 to 200 days, according to the Chengdu base. Scientists will closely monitor behavioral and physiological signs, but it's often a guessing game.

Even if a pregnancy proves genuine, baby pandas have very low survival rates. According to the Chengdu base, only a third to a half of pandas born in Chinese captivity manage to survive past infancy.

There was good news last month, though, when a panda gave birth to a healthy set of triplets in China's Chimelong Safari Park in the southern city of Guangzhou. The cubs are thought to be the only living panda triplets in the world.

Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland thinks its panda, Tian Tian, could be the next to produce a cub, based on the latest scientific tests, but there are no guarantees.

"It is very likely that we will not know 100% if Tian Tian is pregnant until she gives birth," Iain Valentine, Director of giant pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said earlier this month.

As few as 1,600 giant pandas survive in the mountain forests of central China, according to the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo in Washington. More than 300 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world, most of them in China.


This picture taken on July 17, 2014 shows giant panda Ai Hin sitting in its enclosure at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Centre in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan's province. Hopes that tiny panda paws would be seen in the world's first live-broadcast cub delivery were dashed on August 26, 2014 when Chinese experts suggested the mother may have been focusing more on extra bun rations than giving birth. (Photo: STR AFP/Getty Images))







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National Dog Day Turns Into Military Canine Lovefest on Twitter


Veterans and U.S. service members shared pictures of the canines they encountered while deployed.

Perhaps you’ve heard that today is National Dog Day. According to the website devoted to the occasion, it was founded in 2004 to honor dogs for “their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work protecting our streets, homes and families.”

The holiday sparked the hash tag #NationalDogDay, in which Twitter users posted photographs of their favorite dogs. And that quickly turned to veterans and U.S. service members sharing pictures of military working dogs and other canines they encountered while deployed.

Consider this first one, from Thomas Gibbons-Neff:
Click on image to enlarge.

 photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-1_zps5f3862ea.jpg


The Pentagon’s official account also got in on the act:
Click on image to enlarge.

 photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-2_zps78f332b0.jpg


So did the Air Force and the Marines:

                     Click on images to enlarge.

 photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-3_zps25841464.jpg       photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-4_zps43410145.jpg

Here are a few examples of dogs at work:
                                         
                                             Click on images to enlarge.

 photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-5_zpsbf42ab33.jpg       photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-6_zps98af8c6e.jpg       photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-7_zps7962dbd1.jpg       photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-11_zps57846426.jpg


And some examples of military service dogs getting love:

                                                 Click on images to enlarge.

 photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-8_zps577d6162.jpg       photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-9_zps2dcf4f60.jpg       photo Militarycelebratesnationaldogday-10_zpsb7c43a95.jpg      






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Monday, August 25, 2014

An 88-year-old Hamden, Connecticut Woman Who Opened Her Sliding Door to Let in Her Cat Was Attacked by a Raccoon


An 88-year-old Hamden woman who opened her sliding door to let in her cat was attacked when the animal she was petting turned out to be a raccoon.

The woman had opened the door of her Brinsmade Road home at 11 p.m. Sunday after hearing a sound to let in her cat, but unbeknownst to her, a raccoon followed her cat inside, police said.

The raccoon attacked her while she petted it, thinking it was her cat, and it bit her elbow, hand, forearm, lip and chin, police said.

"She's a tough old bird," said the victim's son, Malcolm McKernan. "She fought it off and was able to call on the phone. That's pretty remarkable."

Police said the raccoon charged at two officers when they arrived on scene. They were able to get it outside, where the animal was euthanized.

Hamden's Animal Control Division took the raccoon to the Connecticut Public Health Laboratory to be tested for rabies.

The victim was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, and she was treated and released.
She received a round of rabies shots just in case, and McKernan said they should receive the test results within the next day or so.

The victim spoke to NBC Connecticut at her home Monday and said she was doing well.





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The Oregon Supreme Court Rules a Sheriff's Deputy Acted Legally Entering Private Property Without a Warrant to Rescue a Starving Horse


Roseburg, Ore.  - The Oregon Supreme Court ruled that a sheriff's deputy acted legally four years ago when he entered private property without a warrant to rescue a starving horse in Douglas County.

The ruling issued last week affirmed decisions made by circuit and appeals courts.

Teresa Ann Dicke, 53, and Linda Diane Fessenden, 52, shared ownership of the horse named Grace. They argued that Deputy Lee Bartholomew violated the Oregon Constitution and Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution when he seized their property without a warrant and that he couldn't prove the horse was in imminent danger.

The appeals court ruled that Bartholomew had grounds under the emergency aid exception, which allows an officer to enter property without a warrant to prevent harm to someone. Bartholomew said he thought it would take between four to eight hours to obtain a warrant, and the horse might have fallen or died within that time.

Fessenden and Dicke appealed to the state Supreme Court, contending Grace was property and that the exception shouldn't apply to property.

The Supreme Court agreed the horse was property, but decided the exception applies in "circumstances that require swift action to prevent harm to persons or property."

In a written statement to the News-Review of Roseburg, Fessenden's attorney said the ruling disappointed her client.

The attorney, Elizabeth Daily, wrote that Fessenden is concerned that the opinion does not establish a narrow and workable rule that balances the societal interest in animal welfare with a person's constitutional right to privacy.

The newspaper reported that Dicke was sentenced to eight months in jail after a Douglas County jury found her guilty of first-degree animal neglect and first-degree animal abuse. Fessenden was found guilty of second-degree animal neglect and sentenced to 90 days in jail.

The emaciated horse gained attention through a Facebook page established following her 2010 rescue. Grace had more than 6,000 fans when she died in July 2011 from the lingering effects of starvation. She was 28.

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Sunday, August 24, 2014

Billy Joel Donates Concert Profits to Animal Shelter


Billy Joel donated all the profits from a New York concert to an animal shelter.

The 'Uptown Girl' hitmaker has been hailed a ''hero'' by Beth Stern - the wife of controversial U.S. DJ Howard Stern - after he gave the proceeds from his Madison Square Garden birthday show in May to help her with Bianca's Furry Friends, a facility at the North Shore Animal League America in the city that will provide a cage-free home for shelter cats and dogs.

She told Social Life magazine: ''Billy is my hero. Howard and I call him 'Saint Billy.' Because of his huge donation, we are on target to break ground next spring!''

Beth also revealed Billy, 65, and his girlfriend Alexis Roderick have adopted two rescue dogs.





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Saturday, August 23, 2014

California Commuters Managed to Work Together to Create a Mobile Fence to Try to Corral a Dog Running Down the Highway


Downey, Calif. - California commuters joined forces in the pursuit of a runaway dog.

The dog was running down the highway during rush hour, but thanks to some fancy maneuvering, she was kept safe. Strangers risked their own lives during rush hour on the freeway.

"Just to save the dog, cause I didn't want her to get hurt," said Andie Valerio, who got out of her car to help the dog.

Traffic slowed as drivers managed to work together to create a mobile fence to try to corral the dog.

A motorcyclist then took the lead to herd the dog off the road, and Valerio stepped in.

"I turned on my hazards on and made sure she was going towards the shoulder," she said.

Other cares did the same, and Valerio got out of the car and pursued the dog up an embankment and headed towards home.

"She is super sweet. I was sitting with her the whole time and she just licked me and she was just sitting there on the floor, calm, she was really sweet," she said.

The dog had a collar but no tag. She was turned over to the local animal shelter, which will assist in locating the owner or someone to adopt her.



7News Boston WHDH-TV


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Friday, August 22, 2014

Bao Bao Beats Smithsonian Competitors in #SIShowdown


Perhaps the biggest local Twitter battle in the last week is now officially over. Giant panda cub Bao Bao has emerged victorious in the Smithsonian Summer Showdown or #SIShowdown.

The Smithsonian National Zoo tweeted on Tuesday, "Bao Bao got an early B-day present; she's been crowned "most iconic at the @Smithsonian #SIShowdown. Thanks to everyone for voting!!"

who turns 1 year old on Saturday, beat out 24 contenders to be named the "most iconic in the Smithsonian." She swept the science category, and challenged the Star Spangled Banner Flag, the Landsdowne portrait of George Washington, and the Woody Guthrie song "This Land is Your Land" for the title.









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Animal Lovers From Across the Lone Star State Adopted 2,256 Cats, Kittens, Dogs and Puppies on Saturday, August 16, the Largest Ever Pet Adoption Effort in North Texas


Animal lovers from across the Lone Star State adopted 2,256 cats, kittens, dogs and puppies—and even a few pocket pets—on Saturday, August 16, during “Empty the Shelter Day,” the largest ever pet adoption effort in North Texas, sponsored in part by the ASPCA.

Shelters large and small, municipal and non-profit—33 total—literally emptied their shelters during the one-day, fee-waived adoption event.

“It was a sight to see and the best day of my 18-year career,” said Corey Price, animal services manager for the City of Irving Animal Services, an open-admission shelter. “Veterans of the animal welfare community were left speechless, and shelter workers and volunteers shed tears as they walked past empty kennels and cages.”

It was Price who set the wheels in motion in June for the multiple-shelter collaboration when she and her staff began thinking beyond the smaller scale “Empty the Shelter” event they had hosted in previous years. They pitched the idea to broadcaster NBC5/Telemundo39, which immediately got on board, and began spreading the word.

Shelters signed on like wildfire. NBC5/Telemundo39 provided PSAs and promotional coverage; the ASPCA provided funds for other local advertising and grassroots efforts.

Ann Barnes, executive director of the Humane Society of North Texas, the oldest animal welfare agency in the region, placed more animals—339—than any other single agency, said the event was “all hands on deck” for her team and, despite the Texas heat and long lines, “the community support was overwhelming.”

At Dallas Animal Services, customers waited as long as three hours to adopt but were “patient and committed,” says Rebecca Poling, a board member of the Dallas Companion Animal Project, which supplied volunteers to DAS for the event. “It was not so much about adopting a pet for free as it was about saving lives. The event really gave people the chance to be a part of something.”

“People got the message,” adds Pam Burney, vice president of community initiatives for the ASPCA and who visited several participating shelters during the event. “What’s great is all the shelters did well—even small ones.”

That’s certainly true of North Richland Hills Animal Adoption & Rescue Center, which placed 39 pets during their event. “In 2013, for the entire month of August, we placed less than that—just 34,” says Chun Mezger, humane division supervisor for the City of North Richland Hills. “Our community really supported us.”

For Chun’s staff, the event was also tinged with sadness. “We just lost one of our own—Mary Beth Chastain, a humane officer—to cancer on Wednesday,” Mezger says. “But our team did an amazing job pulling together to honor Mary Beth by ‘knocking it out of the park’ on Saturday.”

In 2013, aggregate adoptions for the same 33 participating shelters, on the same August day, was just 266, according to Price. The final count for Empty the Shelter Day increased that number nearly ten-fold.

“For the first time ever, our two shelters were nearly empty,” says James Bias, president and CEO of the SPCA of Texas, where just three dogs remained at the organization’s Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in Dallas and its Russell H. Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney stood empty. “In one day, 163 animals found their forever homes—half as many as find homes in any given week.”

“We’ve never seen room after room of empty kennels,” adds Barnes, whose organization was out of its 208 dogs by 4 p.m. and by day’s end had also placed 126 cats, two rabbits and three other small mammals. “It was a real morale booster.”

By 2:30 p.m., Dallas Animal Services was out of adoptable pets and began directing clients to its Lost and Found area where they could pre-adopt animals on stray hold if they went unclaimed. “I’d never seen it empty like this since the day we opened,” says Poling. “Pod after pod, row after row. It was almost eerie. But it was a great thing.”

Despite the myth that fee-waived adoptions don’t yield good homes for cats and dogs, Barnes says her team’s experience during “Empty the Shelter” de-bunked that theory. “Our adoption applications were perfect—just what we wanted for each animal,” she says. Adds the ASPCA’s Burney: “It’s only the fee that was waived, not the criteria. In fact, some adopters visited shelters on Friday and paid fees so they could be sure to get first pick.”

In the end, says Price, the best part was not only the support from the community, but how “participating shelters embraced and ran with the concept.”

“I’m really impressed with the North Texas animal welfare community,” she says. “This is just the beginning.”


Lines of soon-to-be-adopters began at 7 a.m. at the Humane Society of North Texas in Ft. Worth.



Staff at North Richland Hills Animal Adoption & Rescue Center rallied in memory of their co-worker Mary Beth Chastain who died of cancer four days earlier. The shelter placed 39 pets during the event—more adoptions than in the entire month of August 2013.


By 4 PM, HSNT had run out of dogs (Courtesy HSNT)


Hazel Russell of Watauga, Texas adopted Chloe, a Chihuahua, at the N. Richland Hills event. (Courtesy NRHAA&RC)

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